How to Be a Better Parent
by maureenbrown
Summary: For Books are our escape. :) The Evil Queen realizes that she's been a bad mother, and rejects Jafar and Cruella's attempt to rob a jail in Auradon. She has to find her beloved daughter Evie and prove that she's a better mother than she has been. One-shot, Evil Queen-centric with Jaylos/Jarlos.


A/N: So, after watching Descendants for the eleventh time, I realized that the "Evil" Queen was actually a pretty good mother, at least by villain standards. And, of course, it can't be a Descendants fic without Jaylos. Sorry for adding that in.

x-x-x

"So, EQ, what do you think?" Jafar asks courteously, but he has a malicious glint in his eye. The Evil Queen has to hold back a flinch; it reminds her so much of Maleficent it's terrifying. She doesn't really need another sociopath running around the Isle.

To be honest, she hates the two she's with. Cruella de Vil is a puppy-obsessed maniac that cares nothing about her only son, who EQ has taken fondly to. She never said that, at least, but she likes to think she's his guardian devil (or was it angel?), making sure he stays safe. And Jafar, who is still as bloodthirsty as he was back in Agrabah.

EQ's days of murderous rage are over, she tends to focus on her appearance and her gorgeous daughter Evie. She doesn't want to disrupt how well she's doing in Auradon Prep. Even if the brief smile she gave to her over the webcam caused wrinkles, she looked genuinely happy at the side of her three friends. The Evil Queen isn't _that_ cruel to jeopardize that.

"Queenie?" The whiny brat, also known as Cruella says in her voice that makes her want to snap.

"What do I think about the plan? I think it's horrible! There's no way we're charging into Auradon to do something as petty as rob a bank!" The Evil Queen exclaims accusingly.

The two rear back like they've been attacked.

"You're not going soft on us, are you?" Jafar leers.

"Maybe I am. I'm leaving the Isle for good to take care of my Evie, with or without you buffoons." She says, looking down upon them confidently.

Cruella's hand immediately goes to the baby dog head on her coat and it lets out a squeak, a sure sign that she's surprised.

"Come on, Cruella. We don't need her now that she's mirror-less." Jafar says darkly, putting a hand on Cruella's shoulder.

Frankly, EQ's surprised they're teaming up anyways. They hated each other the most out of the group.

Well, everybody pretty much hated Cruella, secretly or not.

The said psycho nods, and turns away to run off to who knows where with Jafar.

The Evil Queen collapses in her throne, slumping uncharacteristically. She expected much worse from her former accomplices.

She hopes Maleficent has been caught and won't aid Cruella and Jafar, which she assumes is what happened. After all, the fireworks did go off a couple days ago at Auradon Prep. Surely they wouldn't be celebrating if she'd killed them all, and if Maleficent can't open the safe, she _definitely_ wouldn't be able to set them off herself.

But right now, the Evil Queen must worry for her beloved daughter. Jafar and Cruella are currently figuring out how to break into Auradon, and she has to stop them to redeem herself.

Who knows, maybe she'll help Evie's friends along the way, too.

She walks over to Maleficent's computer and hopes with all she has that Fairy Godmother will pick up.

x-x-x

Seventy calls later, Fairy Godmother picks up.

She had arrived from Auradon State's Jail, which now had two new members: Cruella de Vil and Jafar. She made sure they separated the duo from themselves and the lizard that is Maleficent in case they tried to plot something with high security.

Finally, she felt reasonably safe… Except for the fact that the Evil Queen was on the loose.

She sighs tiredly as she enters her office and opens up the documents on her computer.

A blinking light appears at the bottom of her screen, showing seventy two missed calls. Two are from Jane, and the other seventy… The name isn't said, but the location says the Isle of the Lost.

She holds her breath as the unknown caller attempts to reach her again. She clicks the green call button, on guard.

The Evil Queen's face pops up on the screen, and her normally tranquil expression is now a scowl. "About time you picked up!" She scolds and Fairy Godmother feels affronted.

"Well, excuse me, I had an urgent-"

"Whatever. I just needed to tell you that Cruella and Jafar are trying to rob-"

"We've already caught them. That's where I was." Fairy Godmother assures her, before realizing how suspicious this whole situation sounds. "Is this a trap?" She asks, standing up in her chair.

The Evil Queen rolls her eyes. "Of course it's not. If it were, I wouldn't still be on the Isle."

Fairy Godmother sinks back down in her chair.

"But even if it were, why would I tell you?" Now the Evil Queen is smirking.

Fairy Godmother keeps a stern look, but the Queen is right. That was a bit dumb of her to ask.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot. New intel says that the idiots that you locked up are now reaching me in a plea for help to break them out. Make sure they don't actually do anything." EQ says smartly.

"Why're you telling me all this?" Fairy Godmother finally asks the question she's been dying to know since the start.

The Queen's expression sobers for a second. "Evie." She says simply.

Fairy Godmother could accuse her again, but she doesn't. She recognizes her expression, it's the same one Mal had when she chose good. Thankfully, EQ was now their adversary.

"Would you like to come meet her?" Fairy Godmother asks gently.

A small smile crosses the not-so-evil Queen's face. She nods.

x-x-x

"I can't believe it." Jay says numbly.

"Neither can I." Carlos agrees as he paces back and forth.

"Not that they're in jail. The _audacity_ they have to ask us to come visit them." The older boy's voice is hard as steel and full of loathing.

Carlos stops moving, and he walks and kneels down in front of Jay, who's sitting on his bed. "Jay, calm down." He says quietly, taking the other boy's hands in his own.

"I can't, Carlos. After what they did to us." Jay goes rigid. "After what they did to you."

It feels like Jay's slapped him across the face, and he staggers up, letting go of him.

"Wait, C… I shouldn't have said that." Jay stands up in a flash, his eyes wild.

"No, you shouldn't have." Carlos says icily, trying to pack as much of the pain he's feeling into his words. "You _know_ how I feel about Cruella."

"I know, I'm sorry." Jay musters out.

Carlos stops and hugs himself, unconsciously reaching his left hand up to his shoulder where his scar is.

Jay steps forward and moves his jacket away to see the scar he's only seen a couple times before.

His fingers ghost over it delicately, and Carlos shivers. He's still not used to being touched so gingerly (despite how gruff Jay may seem), it's so new to him.

Jay bends down and places a kiss as softly as a butterfly landing on him to the wound before leveling up to gaze into his boyfriend's eyes.

"I'm sorry." Jay repeats.

"I know." Carlos whispers back as he wraps his arms around Jay's middle.

Just as Jay moves to hold him, there's a knock at the door before Evie and Mal step in. They both look apprehensive, like they've ruined the moment (which they did).

"My mom is here." Evie's voice wavers and Mal takes her hand in reassurance.

"We have to see her," Mal says, her eyes still glued to Evie. "We owe her that."

The four agree with her and Carlos reluctantly breaks away from Jay.

"Let's go." Jay whispers to the only boy he's ever been in love with and takes his hand, though it's more romantic than how Mal and Evie do it.

Carlos nods and they set off to see the Queen.

x-x-x

The Queen stands before the four.

Evie chokes back a sob, covering her mouth with her hand that isn't in Mal's. Mascara runs down her face as she sprints to join her mother, Mal freeing her from her grasp.

Her mom holds her arms out and graciously accepts Evie into her arms, holding back tears of her own. Her daughter weeps, clutching her tightly, glad to have her mother back.

The other three stand there, with tiny, melancholy smiles on their faces. As happy as they are to see Evie so overjoyed, they wish they had a parental figure that wasn't the Beast, Belle, or Fairy Godmother. They're all busy most of the time, and the four feel selfish asking them to fulfill their needs.

Then, the Queen looks up and opens her arms, beckoning the other kids to join them. Mal grins, a happy one that people see more often now. Jay and Carlos glance at each other before the older boy tugs him by his hand.

They all crash together in a large group hug, and the Queen is eternally glad she made the right decision.


End file.
